The conversations ranged in topic from racism to stereotypes perpetuated in rap music, from social responsibility to news media’s role in influencing negative perceptions.

A doctor, a teacher, a college professor, an author, a single mother, the father of a mixed-race child, a high school student, Asbury Park Press staffers and more shared their experiences as black men and women in America and on parenting young black men in America.

Here, Danielle Gilliard, 28, of Eatontown shares her opinion on race perceptions in music. Gilliard has been a copy editor at the Press for two years. She received her journalism and communication degrees at Rowan University.

The same word that was used during and after slavery to demean and belittle African-Americans is being presented to white youths as a cool term.

A trend. A hip-hop lyric. Something that's OK to embrace for likes, comments, retweets and posts on social media.

That’s right: The “n-word.”

Through music, black artists have made it popular to use a word that once represented us as three-fifths of a person: Not equal. Not worthy of life.

The same way our ancestors were lynched during slavery, our young black men are being lynched today under the protection of “Stand Your Ground” laws.

Yet few mainstream black artists today record music about uplifting our people to strive for more and combat the “thug” stereotype. In fact, many encourage it through lyrics that are misogynistic, hooks that glorify crime and themes that promote violence.

Rap artist YG has a hit on Top 5 Billboard rap charts that boasts the “n-word” 19 times in the hook alone.

(Page 2 of 3)

Bronx rapper Mysonne the General, who has three sons — Nasaun, 16, Kameryn, 2, and Keston, 3 weeks — penned "What Do I Say to My Sons?" last year after the verdict that cleared George Zimmerman in the shooting death of Martin.

“I was in my hotel room (in Miami) just sitting there and then as the verdict came (out), it had literally brought tears to my eyes. And I started thinking ‘What does this mean?’ ” said the 37-year-old rapper. “I have a 2-year-old and I had a 15-year-old son, and I’m thinking to myself ‘What do I say to them?’ when they ask about it. What is this saying to them? What is the verdict saying to them? What does it say about them, their worth?”

Although some rappers still promote positivity and change in their music, not many that make it to mainstream and commercial success promote a message of substance.

What happened to the days of McFadden & Whitehead's "Ain't No Stopping Us Now"? Queen Latifah's "U.N.I.T.Y."? Boogie Down Productions' "Self Destruction"?

I challenge everyone to use social media to get this message across to today’s rap and rhythm and blues stars: Call for them to limit, if not eliminate, the use of the “n-word” in their lyrics. Call on a few of them to come together, instead of tearing one another down, to produce a track that inspires and uplifts. Compel them to make a modern-day “Self Destruction” that calls for repealing the Stand Your Ground law.

We can talk about music and its role on society and how we see racial tension until we’re blue in the face, but we must demand change.

Protesting after another child is killed won’t cut it anymore. We’ve marched after Sean Bell. Oscar Grant. Trayvon Martin. And countless other black teens and men who were gunned down senselessly.